Journalist who covered corruption murdered in Brazil

New York, February 10, 2012--The body of
Brazilian journalist Mario Randolfo Marques Lopes was found on Thursday in the
city of Barra do Piraí in Rio de Janeiro state, according to news reports. Randolfo reported on local corruption and had survived at
least one attempt on his life in recent years, news reports said.

Randolfo, 50, the editor-in-chief of the news
website Vassouras
na Net, was abducted from his home on Wednesday
night along with his companion, Maria Aparecida Guimarães, according to news
reports. Both were shot to death, local police told journalists. Randolfo had frequently
accused local officials of corruption in articles on his website, according to
news reports. His most recent article on his website accused local judges and courts
of being corrupt and too powerful, CPJ research shows.

The journalist was also attacked by armed men
last year, according to news reports. In July, an unidentified gunman entered
the Vassouras na Net newsroom, in the
city of Vassouras, and shot Randolfo five times in the head, which left him in a
coma for three days, the journalist reported. He survived and, for his safety, decided to move to
Barra do Piraí but did not stop working on his website, according to news
reports.

"We offer our condolences to family and friends of Mario Randolfo
Marques Lopes and Maria Aparecida Guimarães," said Carlos Lauría, CPJ's senior
Americas program coordinator. "Brazilian authorities must thoroughly
investigate this crime and bring the perpetrators to justice."

News accounts reported police officers as saying that the journalist had many
enemies. Local official José Mário Salomão de
Omena told reporters, "He created such a large volume of
enemies that it is even difficult to know where to start," according to news
reports.

CPJ documented a rise in lethal violence in
Brazil in 2011. Two journalists were killed in Brazil last year in direct relation
to their journalism, and four others were killed in unclear circumstances, CPJ
research shows.